Hoop roller



G. E. VOSS Dec. 25, 1934.

HOOP ROLLER Filed Aug. 7, 1933 Push Patented Dec. 25, 1934 HOOP noL nR iGeorge E. Voss, "S t. Louis, Mo. i

Application August 7, 1933, Serial No. 684,052

3 Claims (01,.272-85) This invention relates to hoop rollers and has forits object to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this characterparticularly designed for use by children and others to facilitaterolling and guiding a hoop on a pavement or other surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hoop roller which maybe used with equally good results either for pushing or pulling a hoopand also as a handle by means of which the hoop may be convenientlycarried when not in use.

A further object is to provide a reversible hoop roller including ashank having oppositely dis,- posed hoop engaging members either ofwhich may be presented to the hoop and the other used as a hand hold orgrip.

A further object is to construct the hoop pushing member in the form ofan open loop which serves to receive and guide the hoop when pushing thesame and which coacts with the pulling member to support the shanktransversely of the upper portion of the hoop to form a carrying handle.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hoop rolling device constructed inaccordance with the present invention, showing the same supportedtransversely of the hoop and used as a carrying handle.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the device used for propelling a hoopwith a pulling stroke.

Figure 3 is a top plan view showing the device usedfor pushing a hoop.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

The improved hoop roller forming the subject matter of the presentinvention is principally designed for propelling childrens hoops and byway of illustration is shown in connection with a metallic hoop 5 ofconventional construction although a wooden or other type of hoop of anydesired size may be used with equally good results.

The device is preferably formed of a single length of wire and consistsof a straight longitudinally disposed shank 6, the wire at one end ofthe shank being bent upon itself to form an eye 7 adapted to encircle aportion of the periphery of the hoop whereby when a longitudinal pull isexerted on the shank the hoop will be propelled in a forward direction.The free end of the wire at the eye 7 is spaced laterally from theadjacent portion of the shank 6 to form a yieldable terminal or finger 8defining a passage 9 so that by positioning the eye '7 on the peripheryof the hoop and exerting a longitudinal pull on the shank 6, theterminal 8 will yield and permit the hoop to enter the eye through thepassage 9 and in which position the device will be retained on the hoop.

The wire forming the other end of the shank is bentlaterally on the samesidefof the shank as the eye 7 and thence upwardly to form asubstantially U-shaped loop 10, the open end of which extends rearwardlyso as to accommodate the hoop 5 when it is desired to propel the hoop bypushing the same. It will be noted that by making the. loop 10 ofsubstantially U-shape formation with its outer end open, said loopforms, in efiect,a seat or guide for the hoop and when used for pushingthe hoop, merely rests against the outer edge of said hoop and is notconnected therewith, as shown in Figure 3. It will furthermore be notedthat when the eye is positioned on the hoop and the device used forpulling the hoop, the loop 10 forms a hand hold or grip during thepropelling operation and that when the eye 7 is detached from the hoopand the shank reversed with the loop 10 presented to the hoop, the eye'1 constitutes a hand hold or grip. It will thus be seenthat the deviceis reversible and may be used either for pulling or pushing a hoopwithout requiring any structural changes therein.

When the child becomes tired of rolling the hoop the shank 6 may beswung upwardly to a horizontal position, as shown in Figure l of thedrawing, with the loop 10 embracing the adjacent peripheral edge of thehoop and in which position the intermediate portion of the shank 6 formsa handle by means of which the hoop may be conveniently carried fromplace to place. By removing the hand from the intermediate portion ofthe shank 6,-the looped end 10 will drop by gravity permitting the eye 7to slide downwardly on the hoop so that the child may readily grasp theloop 10 and use the device for pulling the hoop in the manner shown inFigure 2 of the drawing. It is apparent that by positioning theyieldable terminal 9 of the eye 7 against the periphery of the hoop and.pressing longitudinally on the shank the eye may be readily disengagedfrom the hoop and the shank reversed so that the device may be used forpushing the hoop, as previously stated.

If desired, however, the loop 10 may be engaged with the hoop and theeye '7 used as a hand grip when pulling the hoop, without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

The hoop roller is simple and inexpensive in construction and may bemanufactured and placed on the market at a relative small cost.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A reversible hoop roller comprising a shank having a hoop pushingmember at one end thereof and a hoop pulling member at the other end,said members coacting to engage opposite portions of a hoop with theintermediate portion of the shank spaced laterally therefrom to formcarrying handle.

2. A reversible hoop roller comprising a shank having means at itsopposite ends for selectively pulling and pushing a hoop, said meansbeing engageable simultaneously with opposite portions of the peripheryof the hoop whereby said shank will form a carrying handle.

3. A reversible hoop roller comprising a shank having an eye at one endadapted to receive and encircle a hoop and provided at its other endwith an outwardly opening substantially U- shaped loop, said shank beingadapted to be swung upwardly with the eye as a pivot and with the bightof the loop bearing against the hoop whereby to support the intermediateportion of the shank transversely of and spaced from the hoop to form acarrying handle.

GEORGE E. VOSS. [LBJ

